So why do we need to show respect to these …

So why do we need to show respect to these people and this culture again? Reconciliation is a two way street, and this has set the cause back many years in my opinion. Sad thing is many of my aboriginal friends feel the same way and it saddens them.
Not sure who reported it interstate, but I have had friends discuss this, and other similar occurrences over the years and they have been horrified. Here, we seem to accept it as just another day in the Alice. If this is the story we are sharing, as the tourist commission puts it, god help us, and the generations to come.

Ray Also Commented

Send in the taskforce: councillorRussell@5. Thanks Russell for saying you believe that my statements appear racist, rather than saying I am racist. A nice change. When you consider that my initial comment was in response to the police being attacked in a town camp, then yes, I make no bones in saying that this is an Aboriginal issue. I did not however say that they social dysfunction is caused purely by aboriginal people. Although it somewhat pains me, I tend to agree with your statement that there are many other interest groups that have led to the issues that we have today. My comment about broadening your scope was in relation to your talk about tightening the supply of grog. I believe there are many many other issues that need to be addressed AS WELL AS the grog issue.
I am restricted by what I can and can’t say due to obligations to my employer, so sometimes I cannot give all the details I want to, this is also why I do not use my last name. Not withstanding the use of my last name, I still enjoy the intellectual debates we have. Regardless of what side of the fence you sit on, playing devil’s advocate and reading informed rebuttal to my own ideas allows me to expand my knowledge of local issues, and enjoy being part of a group that is prepared to put their opinion forward, expecting alternative views to be expressed.
I am a very keen reader of the Alice Springs News and believe Erwin does a wonderful job in providing informed and well researched journalism, and also provides a forum for people interested in their town’s future to be heard. Many of these issues highlight the dysfunction that exists in out town, but it is up to us to solve it.
Russell I have never met you and admit I can get passionate, but thanks for taking the time to responding to my views with well informed intelligent debate.
Rex, thanks for your support mate, and Steve Brown, keep it up.
Reading the various opinions on these and similar topics simply goes to show how hard it will be to reach agreement, as we all have opinions, and we also believe that we are right.
My view is that I want the right to have a beer after work, as I do work hard, have a family, educate my kids and uphold my civil obligations, as I see them to be. My friends who visit me out here think the restrictions we have already are an absolute joke. I have heard the owners of Piggly’s and other places are complaining about the police presence outside their stores. They say that their customers are staying away in droves. Maybe they have something to hide. Outstanding warrants, trying to buy grog when intoxicated etc. maybe this action is what is needed to reduce the level of consumption that leads tho the problems we have. It may bring grog consumption back to what it should be. This is the police presence locals have been calling out for for the last tree years
It seems to be working. My whole argument has been, and still is, that if anybody wants to be a part of our community, they should be made to feel part of it, providing they abide by the rules expected by that community. This includes the responsible consumption of alcohol, making the effort to improve their lot in life, and not being over-represented on the wrong side of the law, because of their own actions.
Police are appointed to uphold the laws of the land. I respect the police, and see the crap they have to deal with. I respect the laws we live under and try to follow them. I teach my children that as well. Anybody who attacks police, in a drunken stupor to a point they have to draw tasers, should be condemned for bad behaviour, not excused. Simple. The inequity and lack of opportunity we hear trotted out went out the window years ago. We have, as a society, begun to right previous wrongs, and have bent over backwards to provide a hand up to all people. I get very upset when that hand up is spat at, and rejected because it is no longer a hand out.
I look forward to more exchanges with you. Would enjoy a chat with you, Rex and others. You can enjoy your Billy tea, but I’ll sit around the fire with a nice bottle of red, thanks.

Send in the taskforce: councillorRussell@1. Yes Russell you are right in whom I identify. People say that this type of behavior occurs with white people as well, but in a town of 27000 people it stands out.
Russell you always talk about alcohol issues, but I have been here 14 years and have noticed more and more restrictions coming in, yet the problems are getting worse and worse. We have had the 2 km law, that stupid one where you had to say where you are intending to drink if you buy more that $100 dollars worth of grog, abolition of long neck beer, abolition of 4 ltr casks etc, and now the ridiculous banned drinkers register that has been proven to increase break and enters for those who cannot legally buy it.
The problem is the snivel libertarians who tell people they have every right to buy grog and get shitfaced every single day. They don’t need to work, Centrelink go into the river to help people get their dole payments. You confront a person breaking into your house looking for grog, they swing at you, you hit back in self defense and they go straight to CAALAS and get free representation to take you to court.
You will most likely get off through section 27 and 29 of the criminal code act, but there is 6 months of worry where you have criminal charges hanging over your head. A normal working person has no chance of affording legal representation. This is what scares me about living in Alice Springs, and many other people I know. A kid breaks into my house, I defend myself, and they get free legal representation, funded by my taxpayer dollars, with the possibility of me going to court, getting a record, and possibly going to prison. Option 2 is take them out bush and bury them, problem solved. Am I over-reacting? You tell me, but this really how serious things are getting here.
The parents do not give a shit about their kids (no not all, but many), the pollies are too gutless / powerless to bring in real policies, and the support agencies, legal agencies and civil rights activists who have no interest in teaching responsibilities, are also the root cause of the problem. Alcohol is part of the problem, but failure to accept the past, and move into the modern world is causing hatred and preventing any chance of true reconciliation. Broaden your scope Russell, there are more issues at play here, bigger than you or I.

Recent Comments by Ray

Masked cops with assault rifles, but where are the parents?There is no way a charge like that would ever have a chance of succeeding. This has been discussed many times ad nauseum, and the same old answer comes up.
The necessities of life, food and shelter, are provided. If the kid chooses to not take advantage of that, that’s their choice. That charge is usually reserved for the worst cases of kids locked in cupboards, covered in cockroaches and faeces, emancipated and malnourished.
So you are right, there will probably never be a prosecution on that charge ever, as it is for specific, serious cases of child neglect, not letting little Johnny run amok on the streets at night.
Is this a news report or an editorial / opinion piece? As far as tactical weapons, bear cats and masked operators go? Ha ha, what is the go with the sensationalism of late? Aircraft dumping fuel all over us, gunned up SWAT teams?
Why not use the TRG, they are specifically trained for covert surveillance and they have the specialized tools. A bit like the reports of the intervention when some media made it sound like the army was rolling in with tanks and machine guns, where it was more like skilled defence force personnel in land cruisers assisting with infrastructure.
I appreciate the in depth reporting of issues around town, you really don’t need to follow the other trashy tabloids we get here.
[Hi Ray, The piece is clearly labelled as Comment. I also draw your attention to my response here to “Ged”. Erwin Chlanda, Editor.]

Leaders want town council help to fight youth crimeAn intelligence approach would be good. Particularly with the advance of social media and the availability of apps.
Many people could not be bothered calling the 131444 number, hoping it gets answered and then explaining exactly where in Alice Spings the problem is.
Intelligence based policing would involve an app that local coppers on the beat could have that shows situations trending based on how many people report the problem.
Naturally the faster the particular report trends the faster the police could respond.
How many times do you see on Facebook sites like ASCOF multiple people commenting on the same anti social behaviours, and how many of those people have bothered to report it?
A more interactive role using the latest technology would make responses more fluid and possibly more effective.
Mind you, since the Royal Commission came out, I could see the police turning a blind eye to youths on the street, whereas a few years ago they might have called them over for a chat, engaging with them.
Now the amount of red tape involved in any youth interaction will simply too much to bear, so drive on by and pretend you saw nothing. Besides, even if it necessitates an arrest, even less will happen than it did before.

Call for public to monitor police at bottle shopsI did not really support it, but it has been the only thing that worked. Licencing inspectors will not have the knowlege of the perpetrators to be as effective as the police unfortunately.
As far as out there catching real criminals? Talking to the cops that do it, it seems they are having success in preventing the crimes occurring in the first place.
Getting pissed and belting a woman or child until they require hospitalisation, I believe, is a real crime.
Summer is comming. Take the coppers off the bottle shops, prepare for absolute hell. Thanks to the local coppers for doing this boring, thankless job. You are making a difference.